Woman explains how she did a weekend of Coachella for $17

What if you didn't have to sell a kidney to go to Coachella?

Now, we know that festivals aren't cheap in today's economy, with the average one setting punters back at least a few hundred quid. And Coachella is absolutely no excpertion.

Emily Dunn, a content creator from Arizona, went to Coachella and the entire festival, accommodation, outfits and drinks set her back just $17.

Seems pretty impossible, right? Especially considering the festival has welcomed the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber as its headliners this year.

In a video explaining 'how to attend when you're broke', Emily (@littlemsbarbiee) revealed exactly how she kept her costs almost nonexistent.

Taking to TikTok in 2024, she said that the biggest saving came from the ticket itself.

Rather than buying a pass, Emily actually worked at the event, which meant she could attend for free.

"This is a great way to save money and also get paid to attend but be prepared to actually work long," she wrote in the text overlay.

But accommodation was another major expense she avoided entirely.

Emily lives just seven minutes away from the festival grounds, meaning she didn’t need to book a hotel, campsite or Airbnb like most festival-goers.

Food also ended up costing her nothing. As a worker at the festival, Emily said she received $30 minimum meal cards for both weekends, covering anything else she might have wanted to eat.

Her only $17 cost was 'for one Uber when I went by myself and became friends with him/friends stayed at my house and paid for all other'.

"Clothes: didn't buy any be if you knew the state of my room, I don't need any and need to clean really badly," she added.

How much it costs to go Coachella

On the official Coachella site for this year's event, Weekend 2, which went on sale in September, started at $549 for general admission and $1,199 for VIP.

Weekend 1, meanwhile, was a little more expensive at $649 for general admission, with VIP costing $1,299.

Accommodation-wise, the LA Times reported coming across an Airbnb 'bed in a laundry room' for $700 a night - the same cost for powered car camping... Not to mention camping car passes for each weekend were $180.

Coachella 2026 food and drink prices

Coachella festival-goers who paused for a soft drink or some fried chicken inbetween watching Justin Bieber, Karol G and Sabrina Carpenter ended up paying excruciating prices for it last weekend.

“Prices looking like it’s a nice day to fast,” wrote one music lover. “I’ll just eat thoughts and prayers,” said another.

Here’s what anyone entitled enough to want to eat and drink at Coachella ended up paying, thanks to screenshots posted by Californian estate agent James Suer on Instagram.

Dave’s Hot Chicken

Chicken burger with chips - $30 (£22)

Chicken tender with chips - $26 (£19)

Coca Cola/Coke Zero/Sprite - $7 (£5)

Viale Street Food

Gyro - $20 (£15)

Carne asada chips - $20 (£15)

Greek salad - $15 (£11)

Cheesy chips - $16 (£12)

Lemonade - $10 (£7)

Big B The Chef

Fried chicken wings and chips - $25 (£19)

Chicken strips and chips - $17.50 (£13)

Cajun french fries - $10 (£7)

Sweetfin

Spicy tuna bowl - $23 (£17)

Yuzu salmon bowl - $23 (£17)